[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 146 (Thursday, November 15, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1764-E1765]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             IN HONOR OF THE REVEREND DR. J.H. FLAKES, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 15, 2012

  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart and 
solemn remembrance that I rise today to pay tribute to the Reverend Dr. 
Johnny H. Flakes, Jr., an inspiring spiritual and community leader and 
the beloved Pastor of Fourth Street Missionary Baptist Church in 
Columbus, Georgia for fifty-one years and Good Hope Missionary Baptist 
Church in Phenix City, Alabama for fifty-three years.
  Sadly, Dr. Flakes passed away on Monday, November 12, 2012. His 
passing leaves a tremendous void in the hearts of his family, friends, 
and the Columbus and Phenix City communities. On Friday, November 16, 
2012, a funeral service will be held in his honor at Fourth Street 
Baptist Church in Columbus, Georgia.
  Dr. Flakes was born on January 12, 1934 in Phenix City, Alabama. His 
story is a truly inspiring one. As a young man, he dropped out of high 
school, married young, and was unable to adequately provide for his 
family due to alcohol and gambling addictions. However, he heard the 
sound of God's voice and answered the call, surrendering his life to 
Jesus Christ. He was called to the monumental task of pastoring two 
rapidly-growing churches in two different states. Even so, he still 
found the strength, discipline, and dedication to drive back and forth 
from Columbus to Nashville, Tennessee each week over four years to earn 
his GED and Bachelor of Arts degree from American Baptist College, for 
which he would later go on to serve as Chairman of the Board of 
Trustees and have the administration building on the school's campus 
named in his honor.
  Throughout his pastoral career, always seeking to improve the craft 
of Christian ministry and discipleship, Dr. Flakes became a leader in 
the National Baptist Congress of Christian Education, served as 
President of the Congress of Christian Education for the General 
Missionary Baptist Convention of Georgia for many years and ultimately 
served on the Executive Committee Board of the National Baptist 
Convention. Dr. Flakes also received honorary doctorate degrees from 
A.B. Lee Theological Seminary in Jacksonville, Florida and his alma 
mater, American Baptist College.
  A fierce believer in equality and justice for all, Dr. Flakes was not 
only a profound theologian but also a strong civic leader. He served

[[Page E1765]]

as President of the Columbus branch of the National Association for the 
Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) for several years; was the 
President and Founder of ``A Call To Talk'' (ACTT); Chairman of One 
Columbus; and Chartering Pastor of the General Missionary Baptist 
Church Convention of West Germany.
  He is also the recipient of the Outstanding Personality of the South 
Award; Ten Outstanding Ministers in the State of Georgia Award; Alpha 
Phi Alpha Martin Luther King Jr. Award; Operation PUSH Martin Luther 
King, Jr. Award; Jack T. Brinkley, Sr. Service Award, and the 
Knighthood Award from the Congress of Christian Education. In addition, 
Dr. Flakes was recently awarded the Whitney M. Young Service Award by 
the Boy Scouts of America Chattahoochee Council for his support of 
Scouting in the community.
  On a personal note, I have been truly blessed by Dr. Flakes' 
spiritual counsel and guidance over the twenty-four years I was a 
member of Fourth Street Missionary Baptist Church. His courage, 
perseverance, and dedication to his church and his Savior will always 
be a source of inspiration for me. Dr. Flakes was an outstanding man of 
God who, through his deep and abiding faith, made a tremendous impact 
on his community. He will truly be missed but his unwavering spirit 
will live on through the many whose lives were touched and inspired by 
this remarkable man.
  Dr. George Washington Carver once said, ``No individual has any right 
to come into the world and go out of it without leaving behind distinct 
and legitimate reasons for having passed through it.'' We are so 
blessed that Dr. Johnny Flakes, Jr. passed this way and shared with us 
his legacy of service that will stand the test of time.
  Mr. Speaker, my wife Vivian and I, along with the almost 700,000 
people in the 2nd Congressional District of Georgia, would like to 
extend our deepest sympathies to Dr. Flakes' wife of more than fifty-
seven years, Robena Gaines Flakes, their three children Sincera, Johnny 
and Merle, their grandchildren, and the members of Fourth Street 
Missionary Baptist Church and Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church 
during this difficult time. May they be consoled and comforted by their 
abiding faith and the Holy Spirit in the days, weeks and months ahead.

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